John Skirrow Wright

John Skirrow Wright (2 February 1822 – (1880-04-15)15 April 1880) was one of the distinguished pioneers and social improvers of the 19th century in Birmingham, England; and inventor of the postal order.

While serving as President of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, he came up with the idea of postal orders, as an alternative to cheques, that would give the poorer classes the same facility as the wealthy to buy goods and services by post.

Consequently, at the Annual Meeting a year later Wright presented the idea again: this time it was accepted, and the Postal Order system was initiated exactly as he and the Birmingham Chamber had proposed.

At the Recreation Ground in Burbury Street, a procession of representatives from the public bodies of Birmingham formed, and proceeded on foot four abreast to the cemetery gates.

Many of the town's politicians favoured a portrait to hang in the new Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, or a bust to be placed in the Council House.

A Mr Apperley wrote to the Birmingham Daily Post to argue that a bust in the Council House would rarely be seen except on special occasions.

He stated: "We will have a statue if we buy it ourselves"; and made it clear that the people wanted "something whereby we can show our children the form of one we love so well and instil in them the good qualities he possessed.

The Birmingham Daily Mail reported that the pose was admirable, with Wright standing in a bold upright attitude, as was his wont when addressing an audience.

In 1914 the architectural journal The Builder published a disparaging review of Birmingham's public monuments, criticising their execution and settings.